HARRISBURG, Pa. The high-stakes battle among New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania for gamblers continues expanding with the opening of another huge slots palace in Pennsylvania and the introduction of legislation that would allow table games in Pennsylvania casinos.

Under a bill sponsored by state Rep. Bill DeWeese, casino operators would pay a $10 million up-front fee to inaugurate games such as blackjack, poker and craps at their currently slots-only facilities in Pennsylvania.

A similar measure introduced by DeWeese last year failed to reach a vote.

This year, however, the sputtering economy and the state's $3.2 billion budget shortfall could work in his favor.

"Discussions I have had with the Senate president and House appropriations chairman lead me to believe that our table-games proposal has significantly more momentum," DeWeese said. "I just think that reality is starting to set in. Republicans are telling the governor they are not voting for broad-based taxes."

A Republican state senator, Tommy Tomlinson, confirmed he has a table-games bill similar to DeWeese's. Tomlinson, whose district includes Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack, the state's top grossing slots parlor, said he and Sen. Robert J. Mellow are crafting a proposal.

"We have some working groups looking into it," Tomlinson said. "It wouldn't totally take care of our financial woes but it could create jobs and enhance gaming revenues and help existing Pennsylvania casinos compete with Delaware coming on with table games and sports betting. We already compete with Atlantic City, which has table games."

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has indicted he doesnt think adding table games would make much of a dent in the states budget deficit. Still, he said that "if a bill passes, I will take a look at it."

DeWeese's staff has come up with numbers that indicate table games could generate an additional $200 million to $300 million a year for the state. Pennsylvanias eight operating slots parlors generated more than $1.5 billion in revenue in the past fiscal year.

"If its a $3 billion deficit and table games bring in $300 million -- that's a dent of 10 percent," said DeWeese. "Ed Rendell knows that next years budget is even more excruciating because of the diminution of money coming from the Obama administration, so we have to plan ahead.

"We have to be very inventive in the next several weeks. ... We have to start making our way to a table-games bill that would parallel the surrounding states."

DeWeese has its critics. State Rep. Paul Clymer, an opponent of expanded gaming, said he doubts there are enough votes to pass it. "This is not a legitimate way to balance the budget," he said. Gaming is a form of regressive taxation that will result in more social costs than benefits, Clymer said.

After years of debate, Pennsylvania voted to legalize gambling five years ago. The state started with slot machines at racetracks and eventually awarded licenses to stand-alone casinos, such as the new Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, which has 3,000 slot machines.

The casino, which officially opened last month, is built on former Bethlehem Steel property.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson said he plans to continue construction on a hotel and mall at the site before the close of this year.

Adelson also said he hopes to see table games legalized in Pennsylvania. If that were to happen, Sands would build a major resort in Bethlehem, spending much more than the $743 million the company has already invested.